BlackBeard

On a cold morning, amongst the mist of the sea Edward Thatch better known as BlackBeard was facing off against multiple men. Gunshot wounds and slashes covered his body. As he felt his consciousness slipping, with a roar he took down one last enemy with a slit to throat. Slumping to ground, the infamous pirate finally died.

'It's dark, cold, and wet. Where am I? I just died, I think?' There's mist in the darkness. A gently blowing wind moves it endlessly. Edward looks down on himself and notices his body is blue and transparent, he is floating in still water. 'I'm a ghost, but where is this? I thought I would go to hell but this doesn't seem to be it.'

Suddenly a huge orange eye opens underneath him. From the way it gets larger every second, the eye is clearly drawing closer.

"Christ! What is that!" Edward exclaimed. "Not quite Christ." a booming voice sounds out as the eye emerges from the sea a distance from him. The figure is hidden in the mist. Yet despite this, many tentacles are visible to Edward floating through the water. "Who are you?"

The large beast contemplates for a moment. "I am the guider of those who the sea and wind determine to be worthy. Very few have made it to this place." The voice sounds out again. "My true name takes thousands of years to say in your language. But you can call me Asroth." Edward is stunned for a moment. "But what about god? The devil?" Asroth releases a resounding laugh. "They deal with the many. My kind deal with the few."

Edward frowns as he contemplates. He speaks up after a moment. "So what is going to happen to me?" As the tentacles are moving around in the mist and still sea, Asroth replies. "You will be reincarnated in a new body and given the chance to join the pantheon." Edwards frown grows deeper. "What pantheon? What do I have to do?"

"All in good time young one. You will receive the body of the water and wind to assist you. Your path will be clear." Asroth pauses. "Time flows differently here. Hundreds of years have passed, it is almost your time!" The previously still sea begins rushing towards Edward. The light breeze turns into a roaring wind coming from all directions.

"Any last questions?" Edward thinks for but a moment. "What is the body of wind and sea?"

"This body is one of the most versatile of all, there are multiple stages. At the final stage as long as you don't get your head cut off you will be nigh invincible."

"That doesn't really answer my questions."

"You will find answers in the game."

Asroth watches as the wind and sea converge on Edward. As they reach his soul the wind and sea absorb into his transparent blue figure. He vanishes after a flash of bright light.

The roaring sea and wind calm to their previous stillness. 'I wonder if they finally chose correctly?' Asroth contemplates as his figure sinks back into the sea. 'Or maybe he is another failure.'

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On a rainy night in a metropolis a young man is walking down the street. He has his hoody wrapped close around him but despite that his black hair is still drenched. He has blue eyes and a rigid jawline. His average build is clutching a bag tight to his body.

'I love the rain, but I hope my gaming headset will be ok.' The young man turns onto a dark street with a pair of eyes in the shadows. As his steps go further into the darkness, a figure emerges from behind him.

"Give me everything you've got and I'll let you leave with your life." A brusk voice sounds out as a cold knife is pushed close against the youths back drawing a drip of blood. "H-hold on man, I'll give you my wallet and phone but let me keep this bag."

"No can do, I need everything. Money don't grow on trees ya know."

"I can't give you this! It's the only way to make things better!"

"I'll count to three."

The young mans mind goes blank in despair.

"One."

His heartbeat sounds out in his head.

"Two."

The blue eyed youth makes a break for it. He starts running. But not before the knife slips into his back and through his lung. He continues running as the other man chases after him going further into the darkness.

'Shit, shit, shit! I've been stabbed!' The youth slips and falls to ground as he feels the warmth of his body leaving through his back. Every breath Is agony for him. 'It can't end like this!' The other man pounces on him plunging the knife through the youths heart. "Three." A few seconds later life slips out of the youths eyes. He is dead.

The man with the knife quickly begins rummaging through the youths pockets. Deftly pulling out his wallet and phone. He checks the wallet. "Only a nickel and a penny! What is this!" He drops the wallet on the body in despair pocketing the out of date phone. As he reaches out towards the bag the youth is still clutching. A flash of lightning strikes him before it arrives at the youth scorching both their bodies black.

__________________

The youth opens his eyes after a second to find a body lying on top of him. 'It painful.' Edward thinks to himself. 'Where am I?' He slowly gets up pushing off the body as he takes in his surroundings. 'Why was there a body on top of me?' As he thinks this his head receives a searing pain as memories flood forth from his brain. Of his early childhood. Of his abusive parents. Of his only light in life, his little sister Ann. All the way towards the moment when he got stabbed in the heart. Surprisingly the youths name was also Edward. 'How convenient.'

'So that's how I got in this situation.' He looks down on his blackened body. 'How did my skin get so charred though?' As Edward thinks this the rain falling down seems to seep into his skin. As it does blackened chunks fall off revealing pink new skin. His breathing gets less ragged and the pain recedes from his body.

'Strange, I swear I just saw the water healing me!' He contemplates for a moment. 'Maybe this is a side effect of the body of wind and water!' He pauses to look at the knife in the dead mans hand. 'I'm no stranger to pain let's test it.' He grabs the knife and cuts a thin line on his arm. Before he finishes drawing the cut water is rushing into his wound. In seconds it closes up not even leaving a scar.

'Still doesn't explain how the man died but let's not question it. Now what was this bag I'm holding?' He searches his memories. 'It seems this was for a virtual reality game. How interesting.' Edward thinks back on his conversation with Asroth. 'Maybe this is the game I'll find answers in.' He gets up holding the bag under his body, protecting it from the rain like his predecessor. Searching his memories he leaves the crime scene, heading towards where his new home is.

He opens the door to find his dad knocked out on the couch with a half finished bottle in his hand. The T.V. is flickering in the background. Trying to be quiet he heads towards his room. Flicking on the light he sits on his bed to sort through his memories.

'It seems the boy who died worked his ass off to buy this gaming headset.'

'Some people have made their fortunes off of virtual reality games, and he hoped to make his in this new one.'

'He wanted to make a ton of money to get him and his little sister out of this household.'

'They were beaten by their father since he started drinking about ten years ago. And their mother turned her head the other way to not make waves.'

'He never went to college because his father demanded he pay rent when he turned eighteen.'

'Despicable. I've never had children but I'm sure I would've treated them like gold.'

'I've never had to take care of anything besides my ship. Maybe this is my chance to take care of someone other than myself!'

Edward resolves himself and leaves his room. He checks his sisters bedroom and makes sure she's sound asleep. He heads over to where his father is and aims a kick at his coconuts.

"Aaaoiiiiiii!!!"

His father Samuel wakes up screaming as he looks and at his son narrowing his eyes. Clutching his valuables he starts speaking and getting up. "You must have a death wish ki—" Edward slams his fist into his new dads face pushing him to the ground. He aims a kick at his stomach before kneeling down. Edward looks into his eyes. "Keep your hands off my sister and I, otherwise next time it will be worse."

"You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" Dean gasps

"You can try, but I guarantee it won't end well. I'll keep paying rent until I can get my sister and I out of this shit hole." He stands up and aims another kick at Deans stomach knocking the wind out of him yet again.

"You think I'll let you get away with this!"

"How about this? Try anything and I'll gut you like the pig you are." Edward stares coldly at Dean.

"You wouldn't dare kill me! Aren't you afraid of the law?"

"You don't want to test that theory. I can always claim it was self defense. Let's be real with the amount of bruises you give us, no one would doubt me."

Dean pales but doesn't say another word getting up slowly. Edward gives him one last look in the eyes, harrumphs and turns around walking to his room.

Before he reaches it he see his little sisters door open a sliver with a pair of eyes peering out. He heads over but she backs away in fear. He stops before the door. "I was just making sure he won't hurt you again. Get some rest." Edward heads towards his room his cheeks rosy red. 'I've never felt embarrassed after hurting someone! Having a little sister is weird.' He opens his door heading inside.

'It seems the previous owner of this body spent his few saved pennies on this gaming headset.'

'All for the chance to make a fortune in the new game Taria.'

'Ive got to figure more out about this game.'

Edward goes over and turns on his outdated computer. Looking up Taria it seems there are countless classes dependent on where you start. Despite there being classes, anyone can learn any skills and use them as long as they have the right equipment. One hour in the real world is equivalent to two hours in the game. It's a world of swords and magic where anything is possible. All things are lifelike depending on the real world for their counterparts in the game. For example, if someone wanted to try blacksmithing they would have to apprentice under an NPC and learn how to work a hammer and anvil.

After researching a bit on what beta testers published and looking at the games official website, Taria is about to start.